In view of the increasing use of digital technologies, protecting data continues to grow in importance. Whether preventing unauthorized access to data, ensuring compliance with various laws, or guaranteeing the integrity of a document, there is a need for securing digital information. As more and more files are archived on digital medium, the requirement to provide secure storage has become more important.
One of the main technologies used to protect files on a digital medium is public key cryptography, which relies on a public key paired with a public key. All public key/private key cryptosystems depend entirely on keeping the private key secret. A private key can be stored on a user's computer system. However, the security of the private key completely depends on the security of that system. Unfortunately, many computer systems and operating systems can be compromised, thus exposing the private key to attack.
A more secure alternative is to store the private key on a smart card. Many smart cards are tamper resistant. However, many smart card designs have been broken. In addition, deploying and managing smart cards can be difficult. Smart cards must be fabricated and distributed to users. In addition, smart cards can be lost or stolen. Furthermore, smart cards usually require additional equipment and software.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide methods and systems that can secure sensitive data. It would also be desirable to provide methods and systems for providing tamper resistant storage of digital files.